How a Democrat Could Win a Senate Seat in Georgia

Nunn, right, speaks with supporters at her meet-and-greet event in Shellman, Ga., on April 16. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

COLUMBUS, Ga. — If Democrat Michelle Nunn wins Georgia’s open Senate seat in November, she will undoubtedly have experienced countless scenarios similar to one on a cold and windy mid-April morning on this city’s revitalized Chattahoochee riverbank.

Patty Cardin, a local retiree and Mitt Romney voter, walked alongside Nunn, peppering the Senate candidate with questions about her father. Cardin, who said she came away impressed, wouldn’t be the last Romney supporter lured to a Nunn campaign event that day by the legacy of former four-term Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn.

It’s the blend of that reverence for the candidate’s father with appreciation for Nunn’s own message of business-friendly bipartisanship that’s positioning the former head of the Points of Light Foundation to peel off a chunk of moderate Republicans in November. That’s vital in Georgia, where Democrats have struggled statewide for more than a decade — but it’s also just a piece of Nunn’s uphill path to victory.

And with so many vulnerable Democratic Senate seats this cycle, this GOP-held seat could play a pivotal role in deciding the majority.

“It does involve getting people mobilized in a non-presidential year and excited about the race, and getting lots of people out there,” Nunn said in an interview in the living room of a south Georgia home, just after delivering a 10-minute stump speech to some 50 supporters.

“And certainly converting some people that have been independents or voting Republican, and sort of demonstrating to them that they can have the kind of leadership that they’re looking for in an independent-minded Democratic candidate,” she continued.

In a trio of recent campaign events and in her first two TV ads, Nunn has worked to accomplish the latter. She had another strong fundraising quarter in which she raised $2.4 million, ending March with $3.9 million on hand, making state and national Democrats optimistic about Nunn’s ability to define herself before Republicans can choose a nominee.

Behind the scenes, a coordinated effort between Nunn and gubernatorial candidate Jason Carter, the grandson of President Jimmy Carter, is based in a growing number of offices in the state, where senior field operatives are building the groundwork for a voter registration and contact operation.

As Senate Democrats work to make the midterm electorate in battleground states more closely resemble a presidential cycle, they have to do better than that in Georgia, where President Barack Obama lost by 7 points without putting up much of a fight.

A boom in the metro-Atlanta population over the past decade included a spike among minorities, who are generally more likely to support Democrats. And while the percentage of the white vote decreased from 75 percent to 61 percent from 2000 to 2012, Democrats in the state say there are still more than 800,000 unregistered black, Hispanic and Asian voters.

When asked why Democrats expect to register black voters who stayed home twice when Obama was on the ballot, state House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams noted that the Obama campaign did not expend significant resources in Georgia and said there was a lingering perception in the state that he wouldn’t win anyway.

“People who didn’t register to vote for President Obama in 2012 or 2008, they did not have someone coming to their door saying we have a chance to win,” Abrams said. “With Michelle’s race, there will be a concerted effort to register and mobilize and turn out voters.”

Beyond winning over some moderate Republicans and getting potential Democratic voters registered and to the polls, the midsummer GOP primary runoff will mark a turning point in the race to replace retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss. At a recent 90-minute Republican debate in Augusta, Nunn’s name wasn’t uttered until the final three minutes — anecdotal of the reality that Nunn has so far gone largely untouched.

National and state Republicans remain skeptical that she can put together a winning coalition of voters, but there is concern that the GOP nominee who emerges from the July 22 runoff will turn out to be someone Democrats can effectively label as far outside of the mainstream.

“It won’t take more than a few ads pointing out Nunn’s first vote will be for Harry Reid for majority leader — and that enables the entire Obama agenda — to end any serious flirtation moderate, suburban white voters will have with her,” said Joel McElhannon, a veteran Georgia Republican consultant. “The only real risk Republicans have of losing is if we nominate someone perceived as too extreme to those voters — so extreme it trumps concerns about Obama’s agenda.”

The two candidates most often mentioned by Republicans as concerning are Reps. Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey, conservatives with track records of controversial comments.

The front-runners in the May 20 GOP primary are former Reebok and Dollar General CEO David Perdue, the cousin of former Gov. Sonny Perdue, who is running as the outsider in the race, and Rep. Jack Kingston, who touts both his conservative record and his willingness to make his party’s case on MSNBC and HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

Either would likely make winning in November a taller climb for Nunn.

Former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, who was nearly nominated for governor in 2010, has struggled to keep up financially with Perdue and Kingston but is hoping for a late surge to make the runoff.

Another Georgia Republican insider was far more concerned about the possibility of a Nunn victory but noted her campaign’s challenging weave of messaging to attract both moderates and fervent supporters of the president.

“She’s raising money and doing a good job of distancing herself from the White House without alienating her base,” the Republican said. “If she wins, it’s going to be by a razor-thin margin, but it’s possible.”

One path for Democrats outlined in an analysis of demographic and voting data by the Atlas Project, a Democrat-aligned firm, includes improving performance in metro Atlanta and at least matching former Senate nominee Jim Martin, who took Chambliss to a runoff in 2008, everywhere else. It also notes Democrats must take more than 50 percent on Election Day to avoid a runoff, which this cycle would be held on Jan. 6.

Nunn, center, speaks with Richard Bishop, president and CEO Uptown Columbus, and Dan Gilbert, of Whitewater Express, as she tours the Whitewater Express rafting business by the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Ga. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

In Columbus, Nunn was on the second of a three-day tour highlighting the local benefits of public-private partnerships. Here, she spoke with the owner of a newly opened whitewater rafting company, WhiteWater Express. It was drawn to the area by a new man-made rapids course — “the longest urban whitewater rafting in the world,” according to the company — which was enabled by the commitment of both government and private resources to rejuvenate the river and downtown.

Cardin had heard about Nunn from her daughter and wanted to see the candidate for herself.

“I’m drawn to her as a candidate, and I just think we need more people like her in Washington rather than some of the people that are there,” Cardin said.

That afternoon, Richard Spencer, a 48-year-old garden designer from Albany, who also voted for Romney, came to a home in nearby Shellman to meet the daughter of one of his heroes. He’s hoping she can influence Democratic leadership in Washington.

“The feeling I’m getting from Michelle is just like Sam, and I love that,” Spencer said. “Give me someone who can infiltrate that side with some common sense.”

The Georgia Senate race is rated Favored Republican by the Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.

wrong on the important point – a democrap will vote with o’dumpo and support his agenda – a republican will not!!!!!

red_tide

really? It seems to me that in the end the Ole republican party gave Obama everything he wanted.

Mike Seigle

When people believe their vote makes will make no difference, the only people who will vote are those democrats who live off the labor of others.

Fool_me_twice_shame_on_ME

It would be nice (and truly amazing) if any of these right wing hacks would ever actually research something they spout rather than mindlessly parrot the lies and propaganda of Fox “News” and Rush. But sadly, they can’t actually think for themselves anymore, and they are now so full of hate and rage from years of being so easily (and willfully) manipulated, they MUST depend on their “echo machine” to TELL them what to believe. THAT is also a pretty good definition of a “useful idiot.”

red_tide

WE ALL LIVE OFF THE LABOR OF OTHERS,

ID-2

What makes you say that?

mabramso

The Dems have a better shot in KY, but frankly, I don’t see that happening.

joeblow55

Come on, look at McConnell. He is a dessicated corpse and he isn’t even buried yet, like something from Madame Tussaud’s

michaelW1966

A month ago I would have believed you but Grimes has gotten lazy and McConnell has come back

mabramso

Well, the seat is certainly in play. But it is very difficult to knock off the incumbent party leader in a red state during the 6th year midterm of the President of the opposing party. if this were 2008 or 2012, then Grimes would have a MUCH better shot.

The question is If Demcrats could not defeat McConnell in 2008, how can Democrats defeat him in 2014?

mabramso

Two differences:
1. In 2008, McConnell was not disliked by member of the GOP anywhere near the way he is now. If the party were united behind him, there is no way he would lose in November.

2. The Democrats had too many other rich targets they were focused on in 2008.

Manaphy

Keep dreaming.

SonofaGip

They will win neither and like it.

chillinout.

They’ll likely win both, and republicans will whine like sore losers

Ronald W. Mann

And the pubs will take NY

ekaneti

Neither.

Stacey Hopkins

Georgia is not in play for the Dem strategy to hold on to the Senate. That might be partially due to how badly this race was conceptualized by whomever thought this whole Nunn candidacy up.

ID-2

The problem for Nunn is that both Perdue and Kingston are leading in polls and have made outreach to Tea Party groups a priority. Broun and Gingrey are stuck in the low teens and have not moved for months.

mabramso

If this were 2012, Nunn would have a chance. But in 2014, pretty much everything is going against her. This election will almost assuredly be nationalized, and she is at a huge disadvantage there. GA is a red state, which occasionally elects Democrats, but it’s very difficult to pull off during the 6th year midterm of a Democrat POTUS who is very unpopular there. One of the loony GOP candidates would have to win the primary, and because of GA’s runoff system, I don’t see that happening.

chillinout.

A majority of the Georgia GOP is loony, so Broun or Gingrey winning is fairly likely

ekaneti

Youre pathetic. Your only chance is another Todd Akin. But your two favored candidates are polling in the basement. It wont be Broun.

chillinout.

Even if it isn’t Broun, Nunn is polling even with Kingston and could easily defeat him. Remember 5 year old scrubbing the floor for lunch money? That should go over well

mabramso

Well, you can believe whatever you want, but if you look at the polls, Broun and Gingrey are both running well behind Kingston and Perdue, and the only way either of them wins the GOP nomination is if they BOTH make it to the runoff, ahead of Perdue and Kingston. Could it happen? Sure. Likely? I think not.

chillinout.

And what happens if Broun makes the runoff against Kingston? Who do you think Gingrey and Handel voters will go to? Outside of the seacoast and Fulton and DeKalb County, I don’t see Kingston carrying any other Georgia counties

mabramso

You left out Perdue voters. The GOP in Georgia has never before shown themselves to be suicidal in statewide races — I doubt that they will do so now.

chillinout.

The GOP in Georgia has never had to contend with an electorate that is 40% non-white either

jguy1957

Living in Georgia I see Nunn’s ads and they do everything to make her look like a Republican. There is just one thing I will never vote for a Democrat especially after Pelosi, Reid, and Obama.

Rumionemore

Just guessing – you never have voted for a Democrat.
That Nunn is not bashing Republicans should show her intelligence and class. We complain about the rot in D.C., but any one of the GOP candidates for Senate in the state would walk the same line as Chambliss and the others who are contributing to the muck there now. At least Nunn would not be indifferent to the real issues we face as citizens of the country.

daniel155

No, she will just do what Harry Reid tells her to until when of if she even catches on to things.

Ronald W. Mann

Nunn is running on her name, nothing else. I would be surprised if her father would vote for her

Rumionemore

What do you know about her, other than that she is a Democrat?

Fool_me_twice_shame_on_ME

The “Americans” shot from behind rocks and trees and the British wore red and marched in a straight line. Who won the Revolutionary war? Unfortunately, being polite as a candidate in a red state today makes you a classy loser to the pig in the mud you were competing against because the “right leaning” American public today SAYS it’s a “class act” as they ignorantly believe and vote for the pig in the mud. Know your constituents!

Rumionemore

I have a choice this time, and it includes not voting for this pig or the other one. I’ve had to do that kind of voting many times. This time my vote will be cast for the intelligent one who has experience and cares about he people of her state. Whether she wins or loses, at least I will believe I have done the best thing.

Rumionemore

The GOP good old boys running the state have worn thin with voters throughout the state. Hundreds of Georgians are weary with being thought of as rednecks, especially the millions of voters in and around Atlanta. Thankfully, we are getting rid of Chambliss, and I would not be at all surprised to see Nunn replace him instead of one of the regressive GOP candidates.

Logic Driven Conservative

Nope, wrong—you’re dealing in false optimism, or you’re a typically delusional Liberal.
Here’s the way it will go in Georgia:
Nunn will do quite well in metro Atlanta…IF Blacks turn out. Elsewhere, throughout Georgia she has NO realistic chance–thinking Georgians will NOT elect an Obama-fawning Democrat.
“Period” ! …as Barack Obama loves to say.

Rumionemore

You have a point. Georgia has a high illiteracy rate, one of the highest in the country – especially south of Atlanta and in some areas north, the “all gums” zone.

ekaneti

Obama took the Atlanta metro area by 20 points and still lost the state by 7.

Rumionemore

She is not Obama. She is a native daughter from a respected, high-caliber family. And she’s WHITE, married to a WHITE man. Even the reddest of necks in Gun-Totin’ State could give her a few points for that.

Chris Herz

Sam Nunn was the senior senator from the Military/Industrial Complex for years and years. I suspect that is where his daughter gets the dough and the contacts necessary to run. Don’t see it making much difference.

Chip

No More Dynasties!!! If Nunns were so good for the country, would we be where we are now?

chillinout.

If you were you so good for this country, would we be where we are now?

Chip

Oh my… such a witty comeback…. whatsa matta? you miss an episode of Housewives of Something or Other?

chillinout.

Did you miss your housewife or something? I hope she’s not still trying to get with the neighbor boys

Chip

Yes, I miss her terribly. She died of cancer three years ago.

Chip

Why? You keeping the neighbor boys all for yourself?

chillinout.

I am, they quite enjoy bottoming

Pat Geary

A pro gay marriage ,pro abortion women isn’t going to make it

chillinout.

Actually, she most likely will

ekaneti

No she wont. No Dem candidate has gotten more than 47% in GA since 1998 for statewide office.

chillinout.

And? No senator caucused with democrats in Maine since the 1980s until 2013. Time’s change

joeblow55

She has a good chance to win, despite the republican spin machine you read here. Reid is a Mormon and a good guy who has just out maneuvered the republicans. No fault in that.

BenCats1

Reid is not a good guy and has done everything Obama told him to do!

Salriz

Reid is Obama’s lackey. He used the nuclear option to pass ObamaCare. Reid in deference to Obama changed the Senate rules to do away with the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and make a simple majority vote all that is needed to confirm Obama’s
judicial appointmemnts. Thus Obama is packing the Federal courts with far left wing liberal, activist judges. Reid bought a bunch land in Nevada that just so happened to bought from Reid at a tremendous profit to reid when the land was designated to have a super highway from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. And Reid’s son has deals cooking for solar plants to be built in Nevada by Chinese Interests that Sen. Reid is cozy with. To hell with the desert turtle then. Sen.Reid is an arrogant, authoritarian, punch drunk far left progressive ideologue. An Obama Yes man. He bought and finagled his last win in Nevada. Reid has realized many millions of dollars during his tenure in office. He lives at the most expensive “The Ritz’ Hotel in the top floor executive suite.
Yessir Reid is a good guy.

SonofaGip

Nunn is for Obamacare, gay marriage, and abortion on demand in a red state that dislikes the disastrous Obama Presidency. She has zero chance of winning but writing such would make for boring journalism.

Whit_Chambers

Joe, you are either an idiot or a fool…. or both… is suspect both

michaelW1966

Joe. I agree a few times Reid has outmaneuved Republicans but people don’t like him.

tess

you are a complete and utter fool to say reid is a ‘good’ guy. he’s evil incarnate!!!!!!! no need to answer me – i don’t care what you think!

Strategerist

Obama and his radical agenda, spearheaded by his disastrous healthcare law, will be an albatross around the necks of Dems for years to come. Even moderate Dems like Nunn will suffer from Obama’s weak leadership and sluggish economy. Not many people want more Dems in DC to help Obama drag this country further into chaos and mediocrity.

WRS3

SShe’s no zell Miller.if elected she will toe the party line and do whatever Harryand Barry order her to. She’s not a moderate she’s an opportunist. Big difference

fribble

Anyone at a Fraud Communist Feeding America event is a fraud themselves. She is just a leftwingnut placeholder.

Whit_Chambers

The only way that the Democrats win Georgia is through massive voter fraud.

Certainly the Democrats will commit a lot of voter fraud (they always do) but they will not be able to commit enough to carry the election.

dianecamp2313

Photo Ids required at the polls in GA. Way harder to vote more than once or after you die.

Fool_me_twice_shame_on_ME

By the time you vote a photo ID is practically useless at detecting fraud (but VERY useful as a phony reason to deny certain people of their constitutional right to vote, of course). REGISTERING to vote is where you prove you are who you are, and that’s done before you even show up at the polls. Anybody with a brain doesn’t even try to vote more than once, except for maybe the occasional easily manipulated right wing “Foxbot” or “Dittohead” getting caught in their attempt to prove voter fraud exists. But then, like I said, “Anybody with a brain…”

dianecamp2313

Appropriate you use fool in your name. The prosecuted incidents of voter fraud last election were by far Democrats.

Fool_me_twice_shame_on_ME

You state that like the good little “Foxbot” you are, but please site sources for your proof that “The prosecuted incidents of voter fraud last election were BY FAR Democrats.” I’ll actually check them out and do the research. You see, my screen name comes from that old adage GWB screwed up – “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” You might be able to pull that unfounded lie on your lazy, easily manipulated contemporaries, but you don’t fool me. And as an “FYI,” voter fraud is more than just the few cases of someone trying to vote more than once. It also includes creating phony schemes to prevent your opponents’ supporters from exercising their constitutional right to vote even once. I’d say that little bit of voter fraud goes to the right wing BY FAR.

chillinout.

“Voter Fraud” the term used by republicans to say “black people are voting”

ekaneti

The Dem party has no GOVT effort in GA and no real apparatus. They get 45% of the vote, but there is really no party organization. Meanwhile the GOP is well organized in GA.

chillinout.

Which should scare the hell out of republicans. If democrats can get 45% of the vote without trying to get the vote out, and without a strong organized party, they could easily win under an organized and vote reaching campaign

Fool_me_twice_shame_on_ME

Project much?

daniel155

Michelle Nunn would have no chance if her name was Michelle Jones. Just another hand-picked strategic Democratic candidate. See also: Alison (former Kentucky Democratic Chairman Jerry) Lundergan Grimes.

driverlesstaxi

It’s just not going to happen this time.
You need an asteroid type of political event.

People who claim otherwise are not being honest about the current state of GA politics.

chillinout.

It just will happen this time, republicans are notorious for being in denial. Remember President Romney?

ekaneti

nonsequitor.

valwayne

Any voter in GA thinking of voting for Nunn should know that the are really voting, not for her, but for Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi. If Nunn wins Harry Reid controls the Senate and the job killing policies of Nancy Pelosi and Obama go on and on. The democrat lies over Obamacare also are rewarded. If you love Nancy Pelosi than voting for Nunn gives Nancy Pelosi more power. If you don’t like Nancy Pelosi than don’t vote for her by voting for Nunn. It really is that simple.

chillinout.

Any voter in GA thinking of voting for a republican should know who they are really voting for, they’ll be voting for the Ted Cruz, Michele Bachmann, Todd Akin, Louie Gohmert, and Cliven Bundy ideology to be ruling supreme in America. The republicans are only “moderate” until the election is over, then they vote in step with whatever corporation or church poured the most into their campaigns. If you support “legitimate rape”, by all means, the Gingrey/Broun ticket is for you

ekaneti

Todd Akin and Michele Bachman wont be in congress and Clive Bundy isn’t elected to anything. The GOP candidate will likely be Jack Kingston.

chillinout.

Jack Kingston may make the runoff because he’s the only “moderate”(using that word very loosely) in the race, and all the hyper-conservatives will split their votes between 3 candidates. In the actual runoff, he wouldn’t break 40%.

cupera1

All three of the most important liberals/progressive agenda items were on the ballot in FL-13; Global warming, Immigration and Obamacare. Millions were spent trying to paint Jolly, a former off shore oil drilling lobbyist, as a global warming denier. He never even dignified the charge with a single comment or reply and he won. When Sink stated that immigration reform is needed to allow more maids and gardeners in to care for the rich democrat homes and properties. That was not a winning strategy, she lost. The 800/lb gorilla in the race was Obama and Obamacare. Sink never voted for the bill but supported reforming it while Jolly’s position was to eliminate Obamacare entirely and he won. Sink will not even go for a rematch because the polls show she would trounced by a larger margin. There are some very good lessons to learn for this race. Democrats will look on 2010 as a good year compared to 2014

chillinout.

2014 will be a lot like 1998, just like 2010 was like 1994 and 2012 was like 1996. In other words, Harry Reid will easily retain his post as majority leader

fribble

Reid is gone as Majority Leader and will go home and cry. Then one of Bundy’s cows will drop a pie on his dumb Koch addled head.

Fool_me_twice_shame_on_ME

See my comment to “Mike Seigle” above. If you were actually conscious of reality you’d see you have it “upside down” about the “Koch addled head.”

Of course you wouldn’t! I would be shocked if you did. Like I stated before, so many of you right wing hacks NEVER research anything because Fox “News” and Rush tell you THEY are all you should ever trust, and like the easily manipulated fools you are – you blindly obey. Heh, heh, heh. HAW, HAW, HAW!!! Three words…Dunning-Kruger Effect. There is no cure for willful ignorance, so I guess I’m done with this conversation. LOL!

In 1998, unemployment was 4%, Clinton had a 65% approval rating and the economy was growing at 4% annually.

chillinout.

The republican party also had a much higher approval than it has today

cupera1

for 1998 to work Obama would have to be polling in the mid 50’s instead of the high 30’s. The number seat that need to be defended democrats is way off. Of course it is Obama and Obamacare that are sinking democrats in the upcoming election. They are the mill stones that are dragging down ~15 senate democrats and ~70 congressional democrat seats. There are over 100,000 people in every state that have received “The Letter” and have had their health care policy canceled and are been forced into Obamacare. They are volunteering in mass to help republicans to get elected, especially TEA party candidates.

chillinout.

If republicans had favorability near 50% as they did in 1998, maybe you’d be right, but since they don’t, Obama’s 42% approval will work just fine. As for the number of seats in need of defense, 1992 was a good year for democrats, just like 2008 was. They had the defend just as many seats in 1998 as they do in 2014. It’s deja vu to 16 years ago

ttuttle

She may be polling well now because she is effectively running on Republican values. I live in Atlanta and in her commercials she talks about working with President HW Bush, smaller more effective government, working with businesses, and how charitable and religious organizations are a key part of society. She never mentions she is a Democrat.

If the democrats are so confident that they have a winner message for Georgia voters, why are the hiding it?As soon as people tune in and find out that most of her projected image is opposite of the party she represents, they will vote for the Republican.

tess

i, too, live in atlanta and you are dead on. hopefully the blacks won’t be as interested in this election because they are the racist and don’t have one of their own on the ballot.

Stacey Hopkins

Umm… there are TWO of their own on the ballot for the Senate race on the Dems side, Steen Miles and Todd Robinson. Maybe you could enlighten as to why white Democrats rallied behind and supported Nunn over Steen Miles, who has the same credentials that is touted for Nunn AND has legislative experience as a former State Senator, Keep in mind, Ms. Miles was in the race BEFORE Nunn.

So yeah, about that racism thing…

mabramso

I don’t live in Georgia and I am not a Democrat, but I suspect that …

1. … most conservatives there would absolutely LOVE to see Miles win the nomination because they don’t view her as much of a threat in the general election.

2. … white Democrats probably rallied behind Ms. Nunn because they probably thought that she had a chance to actually win the race, Ms Miles superior qualifications notwithstanding. After all, if Obama couldn’t win there, even in the best possible conditions that 2008 presented, why would Ms Miles be able to win statewide in much less favorable conditions?

Stacey Hopkins

While I’m sure the GA GOP would be ecstatic over Miles in the general for the reasons you listed, it might be a miscalculation by both them and GA Dems. The state has changed demographically and continues to do so. Didn’t we not hear from both parties last ekection cycle about how much both loved women and the black voting bloc? If so, they both have strange ways of showing it in this state. Change comes with a caveat, as those whoae vote is beung counted or depended ob to win, want a seat under the tent. Times, they are a changin’ in Georgia.

As for Ms. Miles being able to compete statewide, who knows? I can say no for her and the other senatorial candidates on the Democratic side, as the playing field was NEVER level and was skewed from the start in Nunn’s favor.

The Very Serious Peopke say in order to win in Georgia, you need a candidate like Nunn. I disagree, but we’ll see how a GOP -lite candidate fares in the Pepsi challenge presented to conservative voters in GA, as they’ll always choose the ‘real’ conservative over the faux one. We’ll see if the gamble of a ttempting to attract crossover votes over splitting the base works out. I don’t believe it will and doesn’t bode well for future of the Democratic Party in the state.

chillinout.

“republican values” LOL, issues like the minimum wage and unemployment benefits are handily supported by the voters. Keep making excuses til election day, afterwards, at least your state assembly will still be republican controlled. LOLOL

Fool_me_twice_shame_on_ME

Oh, GREAT! Just what the Democrats need – ANOTHER corporate right wing shill calling herself a Democrat. C’mon people, if you want to actually have a voice in government you’re going to HAVE to stop voting for people (from EITHER party) who are first and foremost lapdogs to corporate greed. The days of FDR are long gone and no candidate with links to really big money should be trusted. EVER! For some strange reason these soulless corporate candidates today have no problem blatantly lying to manipulate YOU for your vote, but feel a primal need to show undying loyalty to the greedy wealthy who buy them off. Wake up and start voting in YOUR interest for a change. And always remember – government should NEVER be run like a business. One serves ALL OF THE PEOPLE and the other serves the investors exclusively (and you’re NOT one of them). Corporate greed and the right wingers (in BOTH parties) have pushed the “business model” of government for years to manipulate and fool the low information, simple minded “useful idiots” among us.

mabramso

The problem is that the candidates without money are pretty much lousy candidates with no chance of winning.

Fool_me_twice_shame_on_ME

What makes them “lousy candidates with no chance of winning?” The inexperience? The fact that the corporate-allied “party elite” ignore them (or work against them)? The routine of the corporate media manipulating voters into believing a load of crap because the candidate isn’t going to “play their game,” or serve their needs? Or maybe the completely FALSE, but often assumed notion that if you don’t have tons of money you aren’t as bright as some millionaire (who will NEVER be concerned about your situation more than his/her own)? Always remember that YOU, the voters make the final decision on who has the “chance of winning,” and not the corporate greed manipulating you for your vote. All you have to do is practice responsible citizenship (a tall order these days, indeed).

Everybody is inexperienced going to Washington DC for the first time, but most are capable of “learning the ropes.” All the other is merely the propaganda and often abused techniques both corporate parties in America use to manipulate YOU into choosing THEIR candidate over anybody they don’t want. A single mother just getting by is far more likely to be aware of and serve your needs than some millionaire lawyer from an Ivy League school who has been working for the corporate elite all his/her adult life. One isn’t necessarily smarter than the other, but the single mother is starting from a serious disadvantage because corporate America works hard to persuade you that the corporate owned lawyer is their – I mean YOUR better choice, and you just fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. Character, personal history, and IDEAS for solutions to YOUR problems should be more important in deciding which candidate you choose, not financial wealth and corporate propaganda. We’re in the mess we’re in because so many people never think for themselves and blindly trust the greed-driven “leadership” and corporate media to make their choice for them. Turn off the TV and start doing some real research. You’ll be surprised by how much you are being manipulated, and by whom.

mabramso

1. How about laying off the false accusations. I don’t even watch TV — I don’t even have cable or satellite in my house. Furthermore, the idea that people who don’t vote like you are being manipulated is pretty arrogant.

2. I have no doubt that there are good and decent people who I would rather see in office than many of the politicians there now. Christine O’Donnell was one of them. Had I lived in Delaware, I probably would have voted for her over her Democrat opponent. But she was a lousy candidate, as evidenced by her being crushed in the general election campaign, which didn’t surprise anyone.

Fool_me_twice_shame_on_ME

My bad. I apologize because I wasn’t being clear. While I started my comment by addressing your horribly clichéd and extremely generalized false assumption, most of the times that I wrote “YOU” in my comments was meant to be PLURAL, as in everybody and not you personally.

A candidate is lousy because they are phony, or driven by personal greed, ignorance, or blind party politics and the like, and NOT by how much money is being thrown their way. Sometimes the candidate with the most money is only the “most bought” candidate, and truly the least effective candidate for “We, the People.” As for your accusation that I believe people who don’t vote as I do are being manipulated, you missed that point completely. I never stated how I or anyone else votes because it’s completely irrelevant. But if you or anyone else actually buys into any political ad at face value, or puts all their trust in the recommendations and promotions of the “party elite” (of EITHER party), or believes any information coming from the corporate media is the absolute and whole truth, then yes, they are being manipulated. Campaigns and the corporate media outlets routinely practice techniques to play on voters’ emotions to manipulate their audiences on a grand scale, and if you don’t think it’s true, well then, it’s working on you just as they hope it does. People can’t see it if they are inundated with the propaganda on a daily basis. That’s why I suggested turning off the TV and doing some real research on a candidate before casting a vote. The bottom line is NO candidate should be judged on worthiness or competency by the size of his/her bank account. Using that false assumption is part of what has us in the oligarchy we live in now.

Stacey Hopkins

We’d love to have options at the polls, but that’s going to take more folks like yourself to step up and run as well as the third-party’s getting their stuff together. The May 20th ballots are out; one is hard pressed to find a Gteen, Justice or Independent running for any seat, municipal, state or congressional. Until then, we will continue to have these Sophie’s Choice type of elections that Democrats have offered their voters.

Ronald W. Mann

Even with a massive dead vote turnout, None is done

fribble

Dems will win neither, they will go home and cry.

tpaine1

All “gerrymandering” even tho’ most of it (CA, IL, NY) has been done by THEM.
MOST gerrymandered districts in the entire nation?? Majority minority!! Whose idea was that??

chillinout.

What gerrymandering in CA and NY? In California, an independent commission drew the lines (hence why 15 seats are still held by republicans) and in NY, governor Cuomo practically let senate republicans draw the map themselves. Then again, why am I trying to reason with an imbecile?

ekaneti

An “independent” commission.

chillinout.

That’s why California has a higher percentage of republican congressman than Ohio has of democratic congressman.

daniel155

Who appointed the “independent” commission? These days, nothing is independent or non-political. Gerrymandering is a fact of life and it has been done by both sides but you only now hear complaints from Democrats even though they did it for years. . If they want to stop Republicans from doing it then they should try to win more governorships and state legislatures.

chillinout.

Or, republicans should try winning election by ways other than deception and manipulation. If republican ideas were so good, they would have no issue putting them to vote in fairly drawn districts

daniel155

Hey Chill: You act like it just started yesterday. Democrats were able to hold in in the South as long as they did due to gerrymandering. I lived in Texas and for years there were two ninety percent Republican districts in Houston and Dallas allowing the Democrats to win everywhere else.

Just a matter of whose ox is getting gored.

chillinout.

You mean like when Texas republicans decided in 2003 to re-draw district made in 2001, so they could elect more republicans to congress? If democrats gerrymandered the way republicans did, the house would be democratic. Just saying

daniel155

Like I said. It is a matter of whose ox is getting gored. You don’t like it now because it is hurting your side but were probably silent when it was helping your side which it did many times in the past. Intellectually dishonest to say the least.

Don’t be such a partisan. Sometimes you are on the winning side and sometimes not. That’s politics.

chillinout.

Well judging I’m a millennial, I didn’t “have a side” in the 1980s.
Maybe you should take your own advice

daniel155

Under Democratic gerrymandering, the House was Democratic from 1956 to 1994. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose but it does no good to whine about how the system was fixed against you.

Go out and win governorships and state legislatures to remedy the situation.

chillinout.

It’s not 1956 anymore

daniel155

that’s a killer point there.

Have a great day!

chillinout.

I plan on it

tpaine1

When the Temple curtain splits and the earth shakes, the Democrats will win in Georgia.

prsteve11

I honestly don’t think that Nunn will pull this one off. Georgia is still heavily Republican and the GOP is likely going to end up with a good nominee.

Rumionemore

From what I have seen and heard, most of the candidates are nut cases. They sound ignorant, and they are already fighting among themselves.

Stacey Hopkins

We’ll see how well the moderate incognito Democrat strategy plays out in May, as there are sectors of the base which Nunn needs to win who aren’t happy with her candidacy. I hope they’ll be enough willing to cross the aisle to make up the deficit from the Democratic base, but keep in mind the GOP wants to retain this seat and aren’t going to be too inclined to help a Democrat win a seat unless they know more about Nunn than the electorate does.

Her recent commercials fail to shed much light and her refusals to debate or even meet with constituencies and groups have done more harm than I think is realized by those who are out of touch with voters We’re seeing this now with the backlash from voters on Jason Carter and his vote on Georgia’s recently signed gun legislation, but hey! I keep hearing from the Party and those Very Serious People that this is simply how a Democrats has to run in this state. We’ll see, but I think this tactic may have applied to the old Georgia and not the new on that’s rising up and looks a little different than before.

Not everyone is going to vote in lockstep with the Party and the groups and organizations who are tasked with bringing the vote of the Black and other communities of color, don’t hold the same amount of influence and power as they used to.

kenpuck

All of the “moderate,” pro-American Democrats like her father, Pat Moynihan, “Scoop” Jackson et al. have receded into the pages of history. If she were to win, she would have to caucus with the America-hating Democrats or stand alone.

chillinout.

The Georgia senate race is not by any means “favored republican”, and it’s about time roll call updated that. She’s raking in more money than any of her republican opponents, and is polling dead even or slightly ahead of them. Put another way, we’re seeing a decent fraction of Romney voters willing to vote for Nunn, does anyone truly believe there will be any Obama voters who would vote for Paul Broun?

Mygoodness

With her pro abortion and pro Obamacare stands she won’t get out of lthe liberal suburbs of Atlanta. You want to talk about Romney voters, let’s talk about all the minorities staying home because Obama is not on the ballot. Obama can’t come because that will fire up the republican base. She loses north Georgia from 585 North, she loses the Augusta Burbs and the entire state from Augusta -Macon -Savannah. She will get 42%. Broun will not be the republican, Perdue will, with his term limits stance he wins

chillinout.

She doesn’t need white voters outside of the Atlanta metro area, so her socially liberal positions will help her attract voters turned off by whatever extremist the republicans nominate. You thought blacks wouldn’t turnout in huge numbers in Virginia last year, yet their turnout matched 2012 turnout, and was the tipping point for McAuliffe’s election. Additionally, as long as republican try and make this a referendum on Obama, blacks will turn out in huge numbers, and unlike in 2008 and 2012, democrats are going to pour money into this race and this state in general. It’s actually possible that black turnout will be higher in 2014 than it was in 2012.

Mygoodness

She can not win with only the liberal white Atlanta vote, there are not enough of them, you are evidently double counting the black vote as both black and liberal. Unfortunately Georgia’s ID laws prevent voting twice. Blacks will not turn out in Ga as in Virginia, for one they are not as educated nor informed outside of Atlanta. Two, in Virginia the election was before Obamacare was shown to the the disaster it is and it was during the government shutdown where many of the federal workers were mad at the republicans and turned out to vote against them. It will be the republican base turning out to show their disapproval of Obamacare. Three, the republican candidate will be David Perdue, he is not a Todd Akin but a businessman that has agreed to be term limited. Four, Perdue is not connected to a political family like the Nunn’s, Clinton’s or Bushes, people are fed up with the dynasties. The fact that there will be a Carter on the ticket will not help her either,

chillinout.

“you are evidently double counting the black vote as both black and liberal”

Well, blacks do vote 95% democratic, so nearly every new black voter will help Nunn.

“for one they are not as educated nor informed outside of Atlanta”.

This is EXACTLY why they will turn out to vote. The further conservatives make blacks out to be dumb welfare rats, the further to the left blacks will push, and the more blacks will go to the polls to vote against the republican party.

“Two, in Virginia the election was before Obamacare was shown to the the disaster it is and it was during the government shutdown where many of the federal workers were mad at the republicans and turned out to vote against them”

It was before the Obamacare website meltdown, and this election will take place after the rollout of Obamacare is seen as a success, and the approval of the law is back where it was in September. And regardless of the shutdown, McAuliffe led Cuccinelli in September as well. The election wasn’t about the shutdown, it was about Cuccinelli’s extremist views, just like the 2014 election will be about the views of whatever arch-conservative republicans nominate.

“The fact that there will be a Carter on the ticket will not help her either”

The fact that President Carter is from Georgia, and is still viewed very favorably there will not only help Jason Carter, but will help Michelle Nunn as well. Nostalgia works, and using Nunn and Carter in Georgia is like using Kennedy in Massachusetts.

Fact is, blacks will turn out in huge numbers for Nunn, and inner metro Atlanta whites will vote against any socially conservative republican. These two combinations leave republicans very little wiggle room in winning the seat

Mygoodness

It is apparent you don’t know Georgia. The blacks are are voting for other blacks in Augusta and Columbus will do so on May 20th. There is very little to interest them in November. Friend, Obamacare is not seen as a success in Georgia. Georgia did not expand Medicaid because it’s citizens are wise enough to know they will be stuck with the bill in three years. Obama is upside down in the state 44-51, not a good sign. Nunn can’t poll higher than 42% and this is before the campaign begins. The republicans are more inclined to go to the polls by an 11% margin in Georgia. To think Nunn will win is a fantasy, but go ahead let the democrats waste their money here, that many less dollars for Colorado and Iowa.

Mygoodness

To compare the Kennedy’s in Massachusetts to the Carter’s that are an anathema to most Georgians and Nunn’s that haven’t held office in 20 years and 2.5 million Georgians ago is ludicrous

Mygoodness

Just saw a poll released by WAGT in Augusta, 57% of Georgians disapprove of Obamacare

ekaneti

Youre wrong. Right now we’re seeing Nunn polling in the high 30s to low 40s. Right where EVERY SINGLE DEM has polled since 2002.

chillinout.

Her opponents are also in the high 30s, to low 40s, I GUESS THEY’LL ONLY END UP GETTING 40% OF THE VOTE AS WELL!

Law Student

Nunn won’t win without a miracle. For now she has nobody hitting her, and she’s running ads hiding that she’s a Democrat. When there is a Republican nominee, she’ll have to answer a few questions. What’s her position on late-term abortions? Redefining marriage? Illegal immigration? Harry Reid as Senate majority leader?
She’ll be asked these questions, and I can’t wait to hear her answers. Because either she’ll offend conservatives or her base.

bronx

Hey Kyle Trygstad google T-SPLOSH results and then come back and tell us how do you feel about a democrat taking the senate in Georgia.

ekaneti

She isn’t polling well. The GOP doesn’t have a candidate yet and Michelle Nunn is roughly polling what she’ll get on election day. 40-45%. No Dem candidate for any statewide office has gotten more than 47% of the vote. The fact that Obama didnt campaign here is irrelevant, neither did the GOP. The Dems in GA have a high floor but very low ceiling.

Sam

A vote for *any* Senate Democrat candidate is a vote for the despicable Harry Reid continuing to run the Senate.

Diane Geary

Unless she comes out and publically states she does not support BO, Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi…she should not get one vote from a GA conservative. We need to change this mess in Washington and she is not the one to try and persuade us she will or can. Already, the only thing she is interested in is raising money and looking at government sponsored “projects”? Give it a rest.

George Kato

Liberalism is childish.

Yonatan YONATAN

MORE THAN FIVE MONTHS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE MORE THAN 2.6 MILLION OF UNEMPLOYED WORKERS HAVE BEEN WITHOUT AN EXTENSION OF BENEFITS. THE REPUBLICAN SENATE HAS FAILED THESE FAMILIES MISERABLY. WHILE BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES PLAYED “PARTY POLITICS”, MILLIONS HAVE LOSS THEIR HOMES, AND ARE HOMELESS. THE REPUBLICANS LIKE JOHN BOEHNER HAVE HELD THE EXTENSION BILL “HOSTAGE” IN THE SENATE, FOR POLITICAL LEVERAGE, AND HIS PARTY’S AGENDA. WHILE THE SENATE TOOK BREAK AFTER BREAK, FAMILIES WERE BEING FINANCIALLY DESTROYED. MANY MIGHT NEVER FULLY RECOVER. THE REPUBLICANS INTENTIONALLY DELAYED THE VOTE, SO THAT IT WOULD BECOME TOO LATE TO BE PASSED. THESE FAMILIES WILL NOT FORGET THE LACK OF COMPASSION AND OF COMMON DECENCY SHOWN TO THEM. THEY WILL RESPOND IN KIND IN THE COMING ELECTIONS WITH THEIR VOTE. BOTHP OLITICAL PARTIES HAVE SHOWN THEMSELVES UNWORTHY OF OFFICE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED IN THE COMING ELECTIONS.

dingleberries1972

The only reason she is winning is because she hasn’t had an opposing candidate. The Republican will win by 5+%. No way a Dim wins Georgia. The voters in this off year election would swim through fresh lava to vote against this big eared America hating Marxist agenda. The voters voting for the Dim may vote for her if an episode of Judge Judy or Jerry Springer isn’t more compelling. I trust Georgia to hold serve.